Associate Vice President of Facilities **PLEASE NOTE SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR APPLICANTS**

About the role

The associate vice president of facilities (AVP) will lead a comprehensive facilities organization responsible for campus operations, maintenance, capital project management, sustainability initiatives, and infrastructure planning. The AVP provides strategic leadership and oversight for the planning, maintenance, and operation of the university’s physical infrastructure in support of the institution’s mission, operational priorities, and long-term campus planning goals.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and direction for the Facilities Services department to ensure campus facilities are maintained in a safe, efficient, and effective manner consistent with university goals.
• Develop and implement long-term operational strategies for facilities maintenance, infrastructure renewal, and capital improvements.
• Translate strategic and conceptual initiatives into actionable plans for campus facilities development and improvement.
• Monitor facilities operations to identify opportunities for efficiency, process improvement, and enhanced service delivery.
• Provide professional expertise and oversight related to the design, renovation, and construction of campus facilities.
• Collaborate with architects, engineers, contractors, and consultants to support campus construction and renovation projects.
• Develop project forecasts, including estimated costs, timelines, and operational impacts.
• Develop and manage the Facilities Services budget of approximately $17.5 million, ensuring alignment with institutional fiscal priorities.
• Oversee financial planning, capital investments, operational expenditures, and resource allocation for facilities operations.
• Ensure responsible stewardship of university resources through effective planning and cost management.
• Establish staffing plans, workforce development strategies, and performance management processes.
• Foster a culture of teamwork, accountability, and service excellence across the Facilities Services organization.
• Oversee campus infrastructure systems, including utilities, building systems, grounds, and maintenance programs.
• Develop and monitor energy management and conservation initiatives to promote operational efficiency and environmental stewardship.
• Support sustainability initiatives and responsible resource management across campus facilities.
• Develop and implement departmental policies, procedures, and operational standards consistent with university policies.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory, safety, and environmental standards as well as applicable university policies.
• Foster a robust safety culture both within Facilities Services and across the campus by viewing safety as a value-added function and not just a regulatory burden.
• Serve as an advisor on facilities planning, infrastructure investments, and campus development initiatives.
• Prepare reports and analyses related to facilities operations, budgets, and strategic initiatives.
• Liaison to the Buildings & Grounds Subcommittee of the Board of Trustees and to the Furman Foundation.
• Work collaboratively with university senior leadership and administrators to support campus facility needs.
• Develop productive relationships with external partners, including architects, contractors, vendors, suppliers, consultants, and community officials.
• Engage the campus community to assess service needs and improve facilities operations.
• Participate in the university performance review process and support staff development.
• Exercises significant independent judgment and decision-making authority.

Qualifications and Characteristics of the Successful Candidate

• A bachelor’s degree in engineering (mechanical or civil preferred), architecture, construction science, or a related field, and a minimum of ten years of progressive leadership experience in facilities management, including leadership and budget oversight.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex facilities operations and infrastructure systems.
• Strong leadership, organizational, and strategic planning skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively across diverse organizational groups.
• A master’s degree, licensure and registration as a professional engineer, and relevant certifications (e.g., Certified Educational Facilities Professional (CEFP) via APPA, Certified Facility Manager (CFM) via IFMA, Facility Management Professional (FMP) via IFMA, Certified Energy Manager (CEM) via AEE).
• Experience in facilities leadership within a higher education environment is preferred.
• A person who builds relationships across the campus, among all the people who report in the division, and with suppliers and contractors.
• A listen and learn leader and a strong communicator.
• A leader open to new ideas, someone who understands how to manage expectations in a way that is productive.
• An accessibility mindset.

History of the Position

The position will become vacant following the planned retirement of the current associate vice president, Jeff Redderson, in June of 2026, marking more than 29 years of dedicated service. Jeff will move into a temporary role overseeing the golf course and a few other projects and serve in an onboarding capacity to the incoming AVP.

Opportunities and Challenges of the Role

• The Furman University campus has a significant scope of property types – from a science building to residence halls, an Asian garden, a lake, historic buildings, athletics stadiums, and multiuse properties.
• The associate vice president oversees a breadth of reporting units—including custodial, maintenance, construction, risk management, campus events, and a golf course.
• This facilities operation is highly regarded across campus and has long-term, stable leadership for the various units that report to the associate vice president.
• The new associate vice president will be tasked with developing a more proactive and strategic long-term plan for building renovations.
• It is anticipated that there will be upcoming retirements of key long-time employees across the division, so succession planning will be important.
• The successful candidate will need to seek greater efficiencies throughout the budgeting process to anticipate the rising costs of construction and renovations.
• There is an anticipated 50-acre land development project adjacent to campus focused on multiuse development to generate auxiliary revenue.

Measures of Success

• Strong relationships have been formed among the Furman community, collaborative partnerships are growing, and the associate vice president has a visible presence on campus.
• The associate vice president will have a vision for facilities that will help propel Furman University into the future and continue to enhance the student experience.
• Campus stakeholders continue to experience close collaboration, response, and support from the division of facilities services.
• An elevated, more strategic planning process that recognizes that space usage and the needs of the end user change over time, requiring creative problem-solving.
• An understanding of the importance of the beauty of the campus and well-maintained buildings with regard to student recruitment and enrollment.

Overview of Facilities Services

• Facilities Services offers the following resources for its 68 major buildings that total more than 2.4 million square feet, across a 940-acre campus:
• Administration
• Automotive
• Building Automation
• Carpentry
• HVAC
• Information Systems
• Locksmith
• Plumbing
• Preventative Maintenance
• Warehouse & Stockroom
• Custodial
• Electrical
• Energy
• Event Setup
• Project Management (Construction and Interior Design)
• Grounds (Campus, Athletic, Irrigation, Wildlife)
• Shipping/Receiving

Facilities Services Organizational Chart

Division of Finance and Administration

The mission of the finance and administration division is to provide support to the University in bringing a distinctive education experience to students. Under the leadership of its Vice President, Susan Maddux, the finance and administration division offers support campus-wide through several departments: budget and resource management, financial services, endowment and investments, facilities and campus services, information technology, campus police, auxiliary services, and human resources. In addition, many special projects in support of Furman’s mission are coordinated through finance and administration.

Divisional Leadership

• Susan A. Maddux joined Furman University as vice president for finance and administration in November 2018. She came to Furman from Presbyterian College, where she had served as vice president for finance and administration and chief financial officer since 2013.
• As Furman’s chief financial and administrative officer, Maddux oversees all financial planning and execution, accounting operations, debt management, and the endowment, as well as the departments of budget and resource management, facilities and campus services, human resources, information technology services, and the police department.

Institutional Overview

Furman University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts and sciences universities, offering rigorous academics, broad research opportunities, a robust visual and performing arts program, and NCAA Division I athletics. Furman University is the oldest private university in South Carolina and among the seventy-five oldest institutions of higher education.